Portable battery definition change

The definition of portable batteries changed from 1st January 2016 affecting battery manufacturing and recycling.

The Environment Agency (EA) has stated that batteries that weigh more than 4kg are no longer considered portable batteries but are now classified as industrial. The EA has also confirmed that batteries that weight less than 4 kg can still be classed as industrial if they are ‘designed exclusively for professional or industrial use’.

Batteries used in the home, for example AA, AAA and button batteries are generally classified as portable unless they have higher than normal voltage.